Improvement in gang-plows



C. M-OWREY. Gang-Plow.

No. 197,160. Patented Nov. 13, 1877 Inventor Witnesses N PETERS.PHOTO-LITUIOGRAPHER WASHINGTON D C UNITED STATES PATENT QF-FIGE.

CHARLES MOWBEY, OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN GANG-PLOWS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1 973160, datedNovember 13, 1877 application filed March 23, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES MOWREY, of Stockton, county of San Joaquin,and State of California, have invented an Improved Gang- Plow and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to certain improvements in gang or sulky plows;and'it consists, first, in a novel mechanism and method of mounting theplow-beams or frame proper, and,

connecting the frame with the axle of the bearing-wheels, so that by theforward action of a lever the plow-frame isdepressed, and the plows arecaused to enter the ground, while by a reverse movement of the lever theplow-frame is allowedto move around the axle as a center of motion,rising above it by the force of its own movement, so as to easily andentirely clear the plows from the ground.

My method of connecting and operating the land-wheel is also novel, andmakes it important in connection withv the raising and depressing of theplows.

My invention finally consists of a novel means for changing the angle ofthe draftpole to the plow frame, either vertically to facilitate theentrance of the plows to the ground, or horizontally to regulate theangle of the plows to the land, all as hereinafter fully described.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanationof my invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my plow. Fig. 2 is aside view with the wheel removed. Fig. 3 shows the rear end of the pole"with its operating lever and screw. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the rackand boxes formed in one cast mg.

A A are the plow-beams, having the plows B secured to their rear ends.These beams are made of sufficient size and strength not to spring, andthis part extends forward to a point just in advance of the boxes andshaft, from which they areconnected with the axle. At this point thebeams are suddenly contracted by an offset at 0, so that the smallersize of the remainder of the beams is attained at once, and the beamsare thus made rectangular bars with parallel sides, instead of beinggradually tapered to lighten them. This allows all boxes and attachmentsto be fitted squarely to the beams, and the work will easily come intoline without any difficulty in fitting.

Boxes D support a shaft, E, extending across beneath the plow-beams, andfrom sleeves upon the ends of this shaft arms F connect with sleeves Gupon the axle H, so that the axle will stand in front of the shaft E. Bymeans of this extended shaft and the arms at each end a ong and rigidsupport is secured for both sides of the plow-frame, and it cannot bewrenched or twisted out of shape.

Near the front of the plow-beams is another shaft, I, journaled in boxesbeneath the beams, and having arms J keyed to each end. These arms havelinks K, connecting them with sleeves upon the axle between the sleevesG. A lever, L, is keyed to the outer end of the shaft I, and when thislever is thrown forward the plow-beams will be depressed, movingbackward around the axle H, to which the arms F connect, and thusentering the ground to the desired depth. When the lever is thrown backthe arms J exert, through the links K, a pressure upon the axle H, toforce it down and back, or rather to allow the plow-beams to rise upover it, moving, as it were, in an arc of a circle around the axle as acenter and fulcrum. This action, which is assisted by the movement ofthe machine, raises the plows entirely out of the ground with littlelabor.

The seat M is supported by standards N, which extend down between theplow-beams, and have sleeves surrounding the axle H, so that the seatand driver are supported directly from the axle, and no weight restsupon the plow-beams or is raised by their movement. From the front ofthe seat a link, 0, extends down to the pole or plow-frame, and isloosely attached at both ends. This link steadies the seat, and as theplow-beams are raised or depressed it acts to retain the seat in a levelposition.

The land-wheel has a crank-arm, Q, extending from its journal to theaxle H, where it fits with a sleeve, and the lever B serves to move it,and raise or depress it to run on level' ground or in a furrow. A rack,S, has one end of its segment secured to the end of the shaft E, whileits center is attached to the axle, and

the other end of the segment stands opposite the journal of theland-wheel. The curve of the segment is thus formed with the axle H as acenter, and as the lever B moves about the same center the holding-pawlis ready to drop into the rack at any time.

The position of the land-wheel with its crank is important withreference to the axle H, beams A, and raising and lowering arms F,because when the beams are moved this wheel assists to throw the plowsover a greater space, whatever may be its position, and withoutreference to its own independent motion.

The pole T is attached to a shaft or bar, U, which is journaled betweenthe front ends of the beams A, so that it may have a vertical movement,and it is so secured to this bar that it also has a horizontal movement.

The vertical movement is accomplished by a screw, V, which passesthrough the rear end of the pole, and is supported in a box, W, so thatby turning a crank or hand. wheel the pole will be gradually moved up ordown, and the points of the plow will take the ground more or lessreadily.

The box in which the screw works i tted to the shaft E, so that it canbe move from side to side to change the angle of the pole to theplow-beams, and this movement is accomplished by a lever, W, which ispivoted to the cross-bar between the beams, and has a rack, X, to holdit at any point. This rack may have arms extending down between theplowbeams, and be cast with the boxes D, the whole being secured to thebeams in one piece, so as to support each other and strengthen thebeams.

I am aware that the draft-pole of a plow has been pivoted so as to haveboth a lateral and What I do claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

1. The plow-beams A, having the shaft E and arms F, connecting them withthe axle,

in combination with the arms J, united by the links K to the axle H, andthe operating'lever L,, whereby the plows are allowed to enter theground or caused to rise out of it, substantially as herein described.

2. In combination with the beams A, connected with the axle H by theshaft E, arms F, the links K, arms J, and operating-lever L, the wheel,with its crank-arm Q, mounted upon the axle H, substantially as hereindescribed.

3. The rack X and the boxes 1), formed in one casting, and so fitted tothe frame A A as to support each other and the frame, substantially asherein described.

4. The box W, fitted to the shaft E so as to be moved from side to side,in combination with the lever W, tongue T, and screw V, said box beingconstructed to receive the end of the tongue, and to form journal-boxes,within which the crank-screw V turns and elevates or depresses the pole,substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

CHARLES MOWREY. [L. s.] Witnesses:

Gno. H. STRONG, FRANK A. BROOKS.

